Tova Searleman's Staging Area

I love this event. 2024’s was my second time in three years and I plan to return as often as possible in the future.

Pros:
—It’s flat and fast
—Great vibe: while it’s obviously a race, there’s room for the “happy to complete” crowd.
—Awesome swag and medal (including XS options for the wearables!)
—Live music on parts of the course
—Live rock concert, lobster, chowder, and 2 craft beers at the finish line
—Ocean views and a bridge on the course
—A LOT of photos! I had 52 to choose from!
—Great volunteers
—Awesome host/MC bringing great energy to the day
—Water and Gatorade stations were manned and stocked until the end.
—Pacers, including for slowpokes like me!
—Huge crowd of cheering spectators at the finish line, even for the back-of-packers.

Cons:
—Expensive (but you get the value for your money and it’s a little cheaper if you register early)
—Strict 3h course limit: after 3 hours, the roads reopen, aid stations pack up, the photographers no longer cover the finish line, and you may be in for a long walk home on the sidewalk. This may not be a con for many. This is an amazing first half-marathon experience, but only if you’re confident you can finish in the time allotted.
—There’s a dangerous section on the course where the fast runners and back-of-packers were running toward each other on a narrow path. No one collided that I observed, but it easily could have happened.
—Parking is tight; $20 for the day is the *cheapest* available, and you have to get there by 6:05 to get it.
—If you arrive in time for good parking, you must wait in the cold for two hours before the race starts.
—The lobster “rolls” are three-bite sliders and the soup is potato chowder. Yummy, but definitely bring your own post-race fuel. Consider the event offerings as dessert.
—The beer line/concert entry was at least 30 minutes long by the time I got there. Expected, but I had to leave rather than partake. Run fast or wait a long time for your beer.

Overall, I highly recommend this event. It has everything you want in a half-marathon experience (unless your valid preference is small and/or hilly). Many of the “pros” are unique to this race, and most of the “cons” are standard for most big races. Enjoy your Life, and run Rockfest!

This was my second time participating in this race. I’d had such a blast the year before on this FLAT and FAST 5K course then going to the Hampton Seafood Festival afterward that I couldn’t let myself miss it…even though at 6 months pregnant, I ran for easy completion and cardiovascular health rather than attempting a PR.

PRODUCTION: As always, Millennium Running put on a smooth event. I arrived at 7:30 a.m. this year and easily found metered parking, though it was farther from the start line compared to last year’s earlier arrival. The metered parking prices had been raised to just over $3/hour. Parking near the finish line filled up quickly as it had last year. They again had “Yoga on the Beach,” but I ddn’t participate this year due to my big belly. They again had a short “little lobsters” run for kids, and they avoided false starts. Most of the kids looked like they had a good time. The start line pacing corrals didn’t have a walker/stroller division (like they usually do), so I just headed to the 11-12min/mile corral. I didn’t seem to be in anyone’s way despite doing a 30s run/1min walk interval throughout the race.

COURSE: The same as last year, the course is a flat up-and-back along the ocean route. My Garmin watch measured the start-to-finish course as only 2.83 miles, but I can’t say whether the issue was with the route or my device. The start and finish lines were on the sand (which was neat but slow). I I heard some of the beginner runners around me complain of the difficulty moving through the sand/getting it in their shoes. You can see the ocean along much of the course, and you get a great view of the approaching finish line on the last half-mile.

SWAG: No medal, but you do get a performance tee. The 2023 design was light blue and bore the slogan “Sunday Runday” with a cute sun/sand logo. The ladies’ tees had seaming along the sides to make them fitted. No XS option.

AFTER-PARTY: As one of the slower runners this year, I caught the tail end of the finish line “party.” They had enough bananas, snacks, yogurt, bottled water, PowerAid, and smiling volunteers to make sure even the later-comers received post-race fuel. Most people had left for the Seafood Festival by the time I arrived at the finish, so it was a nice, calm scene. I loved attending the Seafood Festival again this year, got the hot buttered lobster roll which I’d been craving for months, and enjoyed eating it right on the ocean. It was also fun to run right into the water to soak my calves and take in a few waves after the run. My beer ticket would have been redeemable in the festival’s beer garden, where they had beer, seltzer, and canned cocktail options. (I obviously gave mine away this year.)

OVERALL: Same impressions as last year: This is a great event for a first-time racer or PR-seeker. Arrive early to snag nearby parking. Bring a yoga mat if you want to take the free yoga class. BRING CASH as some of the Seafood Festival vendors were cash-only. Pack your beach bag for after the race so you can enjoy a beach day while partaking of some of NH’s best seafood!

PRODUCTION: This Millennium Running event was produced as smoothly as others from the company. This race did NOT have a gear check, so a lot of people had to run back to their cars after checking in to drop off their warm layers in the minutes before the race. There was a common start/finish line on the field level of the Fisher Cats stadium, and the finish line action was shown on the jumbotron, which were nice novelties. I was very pleased that the finish line announcer pronounced my name correctly! Photos were primarily taken at the finish line. As of this writing three days post-race, I haven’t received the usual email with a link to the finisher video and invitation to check out my images (though it was quite easy to get my photos from the event’s page on the MR website two days later), and I also haven’t received the email regarding the Elliot Running Series jacket points. I imagine that due to Thanksgiving, they’re shorter-staffed than usual. I hope all the Millennium Running folks had a wonderful holiday!

COURSE: A simple out-and-back loop in Manchester, NH. There wasn’t much scenery except the people in front and in back of you, but since many racers wore fun turkey-themed outfits, there was more to look at than usual for a city race. There were some hills, but it wasn’t too bad, and I used the downs as an opportunity to decrease my time.

SWAG: This year’s shirt was an olive green tech tee with “Thanksgiving 5K” printed on it. No XS option as usual. Registrations also came with one free ticket (a single, not a pair) to a Fisher Cats (minor league baseball) game, redeemable in April, 2023.

AFTER-PARTY: Because of the size of this race and the freezing temps, the “after party” was more of a “grab your snacks and go” affair. They ran out of yogurt and some of the other snacks toward the end, so slower runners and walkers weren’t able to get much. Despite the huge crowd and amount of interesting swag some of the tents offered, people were courteous, took what they wanted, and moved along.

OVERALL: This was my first “Turkey Trot,” and my first time running in sub-freezing temperatures due to having injured my knee two months ago. I really enjoyed this event and will definitely make Thanksgiving racing part of my holiday routine. Would race this event again.

P.S. This was my first doctor-cleared run after injuring my knee in early October. I set a goal of 36 minutes and surprised myself by hitting 33 despite the cold.

P.P.S. HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON to everyone at Millennium Running and to this whole community who made me fall in love with running!

PRODUCTION: I arrived at 6:00 a.m. as suggested by the pre-race email and was able to find parking right near the start/finish area. Parking was free for the event. Roads were closed for the race and it felt very safe. There was no starting banner or pacing corrals, so I made a guess about where to seed myself in the big start line crowd. There was no pushing or anything at the beginning, though, and despite being in such a large start funnel, I felt safe. They had speakers blaring music in a couple places and a live band at the Seashell Stage, but the vast majority of the run was quiet. The volunteers were friendly and enthusiastic. I had to visit the medical tent at the end of the race due to injuring my IT band, and the provided good care.

COURSE: Extremely flat with just a few little rollers in the residential areas. A lot of it was along the ocean, but due to the height of the wall, it was impossible to see the sea as I ran. The out-and-back course included passing the finish line around mile 6, which was kind of a heartbreaker. If you plan to run this race, definitely bring more layers than you think you’ll need unless you’re confident in being able to maintain a fast pace throughout. Despite being in the 50s, the ocean winds were brutal and definitely made the run less enjoyable as I didn’t have gloves or a hat/earmuffs.

SWAG: Awesome tech hoodie and big medal that looks like a vinyl record.

AFTER-PARTY: Because I injured myself on the route and had to walk the second half of the race, I arrived at the very end of the after-party, so I can’t give an accurate review. The lobster sliders were decent, and the hot chowder was a blessing given how cold it was. I didn’t use my beer tickets as I didn’t think consuming alcohol would be a great idea given the injury. The host (same fun guy from the Smuttynose Will Run for Beer 5K) kept up his energy and enthusiasm as he encouraged slow runners at the finish line.

OVERALL: I enjoyed the flat course, enthusiastic volunteers, and ocean views. I didn’t enjoy the wind or lack of accurate self-seeding at the start line. Love the swag. I’d consider running this race again next year if I’m able to return to distance running.

PRODUCTION: Millennium Running always seems to put on organized events. I arrived at 7:00 a.m. and was able to easily find metered parking near the start line ($2/hr). By 8:00 the closest spots were almost a mile from it. This race had a “yoga on the beach” event. I hadn’t brought a mat, but signed up after being told most of the poses would be standing and I therefore wouldn’t need one. This turned out not to be the case, and I became pretty sandy. The yoga was a great warm-up, though, and I was happy I’d participated in the end. There was a short “little lobsters” run for children. One of the kids made a false start which turned into the entire race (about 30 seconds). I thought they’d offer to try again and give the kiddos a proper gun start, but instead the announcers made a joke about needing to get better at kids’ starts and everyone moved on. It wasn’t a big deal as it was a non-competitive run, but I’d have been frustrated as a child if I’d trained for a race and had that experience. The starting area had pacing corrals, which I always appreciate. As usual, MR created a joyful finish line experience as they announced runners’ names over the loudspeaker and volunteers handed finishers bottles of water right away.

COURSE: This was the flattest 3.1 miles I’ve ever run. It was a straight up-and-back course (including a very tight U-turn). The start and finish lines were right on the beach. This added a fun element (and created unique, lovely race photos) but the sand made the first and last 20 seconds of the run challenging. I found I had to power-walk the beginning and couldn’t sprint to the finish line. (I believe I would have had a sub-29m time without these elements.) Much of the course provided ocean views. A few locals came out and shouted encouragement for the runners, and one couple blasted the “Rocky” theme from their apartment window. I PRed at this race with my first sub-30m 5K (29m03s), which I credit to the flatness of the course and invigorating ocean breezes.

SWAG: This race does NOT provide a finisher medal. The race shirt is a performance tee. The 2022 design was burgundy and inspired by the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” logo with the word “Run” subbing for “Sun.” No XS option.

AFTER-PARTY: MR always does a great job providing after-race fuel to the runners, including PowerAid, water, bananas, chips, pretzels, and yogurt. At this event, the finish line area was right on the beach. Then, of course, there was the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which was a blast! Overall, the prices were reasonable considering they were offering fresh (delicious!) seafood. My beer ticket was redeemable in the festival’s beer garden, where I could choose beer, seltzer, or canned cocktail with my drink ticket. Despite how popular this event is, it didn’t feel too crowded, and I didn’t wait in line more than a minute or so to order anything. Attendees and vendors alike were friendly.

OVERALL: This is a great event for a first-time racer due to the flat course and casual vibe. Arrive earlier than you ordinarily would for a 9:00 start to get municipal parking near the start line, bring a yoga mat or large beach towel if they offer yoga, and definitely pack beachwear and sandals to change into after the race so you can feel fresh while enjoying the seafood festival and/or post-race beach day.

PRODUCTION: I chose the VIP parking. There was plenty of signage and enough lot attendants to make parking quick and easy. I was able to park just steps from the starting/finishing area, which was very convenient. They had a few tents from services/products giving free samples plus a Millennium Running Store tent at the start. The start line had pace markers, so it was easy to self-seed without worrying if I was too far ahead or behind. They had an official timer at the 3-mile mark as well as the finish line. At the finish line area, you could check your overall results on a computer screen as long as you waited for your bib number to pop up. Division winners received a large lunchbox-sized Ribfest 5-Miler canvas cooler. The finish line “festival area” had water, Poweraid, bananas, oranges, chips, pretzels, other snacks, and free samples from Stonyfield, Olivia’s Organics, and a few other tents. The water and PowerAid were unfortunately warm. I assume my photos/video will be posted/emailed in a few days. Smooth, easy production.

COURSE: Loop course which starts on a big uphill, then continues mostly uphill on highway blacktop for the first two miles. Then you get about one mile through a neighborhood with a little tree shade. Many residents faced sprinklers toward the road and/or cheered as we ran past, which was nice. It was a relief that on the last two miles we were able to run down the hills we’d run up earlier! There were four water stations with local volunteers handing out the cups.

SWAG: Aside from the free samples, we just got a tech shirt. It says “Flipping Awesome” with a spatula graphic on the front, which I find very cute, but the shirt a very bright orange, so I don’t think I’ll wear it too often. It is quite soft, though. No XS option.

AFTER-PARTY: The Great American Ribfest was the after-party (in addition to the mini finish line festival described above). There were several options for the free beer. (I got a Land Shark Lager.) $19 for 3 ribs, coleslaw, beans, and a roll was the cheapest option to get “award-winning” ribs from at least one place. Delicious, but I was hoping to be able to buy small plates from multiple places instead of one big plate from one place. For me, this was less of a “Rib Festival” than a food truck festival with 3 expensive options for rib dinners. You can see the list of food vendors on the Ribfest’s website if you’re curious about what else was there. It was fun, but overall was a letdown for me, perhaps because I didn’t have accurate expectations.

OVERALL/SUMMARY: I’ve only done a couple of these races and this was my first 5-miler, so I don’t have much basis for comparison. I had a good time and would consider running this race again. The main drawback for me was I found the RibFest itself disappointing.